AFTER canceling the Winter Major, Valve has announced that they will instead host Regional Finals as well as adopt changes to The International 11 qualifiers.
In a new blog post today, Valve said that the upcoming Regional Qualifier will outset the initial absence of DPC points and prize money brought about by the controversial removal of the Major from the calendar.
“A little over a week ago, we announced the cancelation of the first Major of the DPC 2021-2022 Season. When we did so, we didn't present an alternative solution that would address the absence of prize pool and DPC points,” the blog opened.
“We held multiple discussions with Teams and Tournament Organizers, to understand what was possible to execute and what made the most sense for everyone. While it became clear to everyone involved that there was no perfect solution that would address every issue, we decided to move forward with running six Regional Finals tournaments.”
The Regional Finals will feature the top four teams from all six regions competing in a double-elimination tournament with a $100,000 prize pool (around P5.12 million) and 280 DPC points each up for grabs.
The Regional Finals will happen on two weekends with West EU, SEA, and South America competing on February 11 to 13, and China, East EU, and North America competing on the weekend of February 18 to 20.
Valve changes up the TI qualifiers
Since the Regional Finals will distribute equal DPC points to all six regions, Valve has also announced some changes to the The International (TI) qualifiers for the current DPC season.
According to the post, the current DPC will continue with the top team from each region receiving the direct invite. Afterwards, the second- and third-seeded teams from each region will compete in another LAN where the top two teams will receive a direct invite.
Additionally, Valve has announced that this year’s TI will now consist of 20 teams instead of the usual 18. With the addition of two more teams, this year’s groups will consist of 10 teams each with the bottom two going home prior to the main stage.
“These changes, which will be unique to the 2021-2022 season, will help to balance out the qualification in light of the potential DPC point discrepancy created by the absence of the first Major,” the post added.
The cancelation of the first DPC major resulted in a massive backlash from fans and pros alike, with some even threatening to boycott the second tour. In a surprise move, Valve has acknowledged and apologized for the decision in the same blog.
“We quickly realized though listening to feedback from teams and fans that our priorities were wrong and we were not successful at being mindful of players participating in the DPC. This was a big mistake on our part. We are sorry and we are set on making it right.
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